Hi,

I am in the first year of my OPT, and I am eligible for the 17 months extension. My current OPT expires 08/01/2010. F1 Visa expires in 2013, so that is all in order.

Current employer is willing to file H1B in emergency regime(academic, not subjected to quota, and, they said it would take only a month once they file it, the fee is not an issue).

Now, I want to travel outside the country in September, and also need to decide whether I should maintain or change my status.

Can you please advise me as to which of the two situations is more favorable to me in the long run, considering that I may start petitioning for a green card in the (near) future.

Thank you.